Need a tour guide for night time Tokyo walking tour

[Avidtravler]

We will be doing a four day pre-tour of Tokyo in October before boarding Explorer. We will have afternoon and evenings on our own. Can anyone give us the name and contact information for someone to show us night time Tokyo with or without eating tour. If you have done such a tour please discuss what should not be missed. Should be staying at the Hilton and be back touring by 1-2 PM. Your recommendations for the rest of the afternoon and evening would be appreciated. Would need English speaking guide with experience.

[DeepFreeze63]

WE used "Tours by Locals" in 2019 for Regent pre-cruise staying at the Tokyo Hilton - MAGNIFICENT evening tour of Shinjuku. English speaking guide, who knew area very well, met us in lobby of Hilton. Mainly walked but did 2 stops on Metro. Ate/drank at one of the local hole-in-the walls (about 6 stools) and wandered through many alleys to see many garish sights! On your own at night, visit Municipal building (2 blocks from hotel) to see light show - charming.

[taxare]

We used Tour By Locals last year. She had spent a year studying in a US University and took us to local places we would have never known about. She met us at the Hilton, we traveled by subway everywhere and was a delight. In the local lunch place she took us to we were the only tourists, they had no English menus and we pointed to the pictures, food was ok, but it sure was fun! She dropped us off at the Municipal building noted by DeepFreeze63 which has a no charge observatory at the top. 

[Symmes99]

We just got back from a cruise around Japan (not on Regent) and spent 5 nights pre-cruise in Tokyo. We booked a guide (Makayla) on Tours By Locals for several daytime tours and a night tour which was fabulous. The guide was a super friendly and well-spoken woman originally from Bulgaria but who moved to Japan 37 years ago after she married a Japanese man. I can provide you with her direct contact info if you want to reach out to her directly instead of going through TBL. 

[Avidtravler]

Hi Symmes99,

After reading your Post we would very much appreciate a direct contact for Makayla.

We would also love to hear all about your fabulous night tour. What time and where did you meet, what did you do and see, and did you stop for dinner or have it before you left on tour. This probably would be the tour we are most interested in.

[Gourmet Gal]

I had an excellent private tour from Backstreet Guides.  Tours are fully customizable but they made excellent suggestions.  Our Japanese guide was incredibly charming and generous in sharing history and culture. I always prefer native residents who speak english well as opposed to ex-pats.  I just find that authenticity leaves a more lasting impression.

[Symmes99]

Hi Avidtraveler.

Here is the guide info: 

Makayla Sadamori

The Spirit of Japan Tours

email: SpiritOfJapanTours@gmail.com

phone: +81 (0)80 4417 1223

 

Our night  tour was part of a 3-tour package: 6-hour day tour on Day 1, a 4-hour night tour on Day 2, and a 6-hour day tour on Day 3. The night tour itinerary started at our Shibuya hotel at 5:00pm, we visited Shibuya Crossing and the area around it, we had dinner at a traditional Japanese restaurant in Shibuya (can’t recall the name), took taxi to Shinjuku neighborhood (plan was to go by train but the trains were packed), strolled the energetic and busy area of neon signs and lively crowds, went to Omoide Yokochoto stroll down alley lined with tiny pubs, strolled through Kanuki-Cho, returned to hotel around 9:00pm. We strolled longer in Shinjuku because we didn’t visit the Metropolitan Government Building - it was a drizzly night and there would not have been decent views (but we had great views from our hotel Cerulean Tower anyway so nothing really lost). Makayla worked hard to find a place for dinner because my wife has several food  allergies, which is why she picked the restaurant in Shibuya. Otherwise, the itinerary has the option for dinner at izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub. 

 

Although the night tour was part of a 3-tour package, you should be able to arrange it with Maykala as a stand-alone custom tour to suit your tastes. She is very easy to work with and very responsive. 

 

We used TBL guides during port stops in Hiroshima, Kobe, Mt. Fuji, and Jeju Island (Korea). We did ship excursions in Nagasaki, Kyoto, and Osaka. Of all the guides, Makayla was the only non-native-born. But she was by far the best of all and I recommend her highly. 

 

[love2crews.]

Mac with Maction Planet is HANDS DOWN the best of the best.  He books out waaay far in advance, so the sooner you contact him the better. 

 

https://www.mactionplanet.com/

[Cie]

We normally use tours by local and never had a bad experience.  In Tokyo we had an amazing guide for 3 days and she fully customized everything for us.  We even added a driver since my hubbie had a back issue.   No regrets.

 

Makiko Nagata

I reach her on Whats app  81 80 1150-9196

 

If you use her tell her hi from Barry and Cie from Miami.

[tango223]

We did the Shinjuku Food/Bar tour through Japan Wonder Travel. It was a great tour and we had alot of food/drinks during this tour. Japan Wonder Travel was recommended to me by the concierge at the Tokyo Hilton.

[PaulMCO]

Patrick from Tours by Locals is a great guide.  Ex-pat fluent in Japanese can give you an unique experience.  I find many Japanese guides too regimented with pre-set tours, less flexible.